Much Sadness

I found out this evening at church that a member of our church, someone who I care about and admire, has entered into hospice.  Pastor announced it by praying for him during the prayers.  I was alone in the balcony (running the power point) and started to cry.

It isn’t unexpected.  At least not completely unexpected.  Ward had been diagnosed with lung cancer last December. By the time they had found it, it had spread.  His kids started a blog to keep everyone up-to-date and I subscribed to it.  The battle has been long and he has gone through a number of rounds of chemotherapy and other treatments.  It just hasn’t worked and it is time to stop.  Thus the hospice.

As I mentioned, Ward is someone I admire and care about.  He is a retired Episcopal priest and substituted for our pastor twice.  The first sermon I heard him preach has stuck with me even now, years later.  It was on breathing the name of God, “Yaweh”.  In on “Ya” and out on “weh”.  There is much more to it than that but I remember thinking that doing that is like breathing in the breath of God.  A way to meditate and be drawn closer to God.  It was a very powerful sermon.

Even now, sitting here and writing this, I am so sad and crying.  I know that Ward is at peace with this and his family is rallying around him.  But I will miss him.  Miss his wisdom, his smile, and his hugs on Sunday mornings.

It is wonderful how people impact our lives.  And it is a sign of a good soul who can impact so many lives and in such a deep and tangible way.  I pray that God will ease his pain and take him home easily and quietly to live forever in paradise.